Farmer Boy :: Big Red Barn Birthday
Books, Bingo, Birthday Cake, and Birthday Gifts… That’s how we celebrated Bud’s 3rd birthday last December! The cake took the most time and effort to create, but it was so much fun to make and the birthday boy LOVED his cake! You can find the directions for creating my Barnyard Birthday Cake here and pictures of the birthday boy discovering his cake in the morning here. Here are the rest of the pictures from his special day.
I had such a difficult time deciding on a wooden barn to purchase for Bud and ultimately ended up choosing the Schleich Portable Barn with Accessories. It’s perfect!
Farmer Boy Barnyard Birthday Cake
Ingredients:
Cake and Cupcakes
2 – Round Cakes (I baked Carrot Cake in 8″ round pans, recipe below)
1 – Sarah Lee Frozen Pound Cake (or bake your own in a loaf pan and freeze for easy handling)
3 Cupcakes (for Silo)
8 Cupcakes (for Animals)
Frosting and Cake Decorations
Frosting, divided (use your favorite recipe, the Cream Cheese recipe below, or purchase a couple cans of Vanilla Frosting)
Leaf Green Icing Color (for the round cakes and coconut)
Pink Food Color (or a few drops of red, for the pigs and cow noses)
Yellow Food Color (for the coconut on the chicks)
Black Decorating Icing (for the spots on the cows)
Blue Sparkle Gel
Shredded Coconut (divided, mix some with yellow food color for the chicks and some with green food color for the grass)
20 Pretzel Sticks (I used Trader Joe’s Honey Wheat Pretzel Sticks)
Peanut Butter or Light Cocoa Candy Melts
Note: As an alternative to the coconut you can create grass with green frosting and Wilton’s Tip #233 for grass. For examples you can see my son’s Hobbit Hole Cake here.
Barn Decorations
Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel Candy, Cherry
Life Cereal
4 Mini Chocolate Chips (for eyes)
2 yellow or orange gumdrops (I used Trader Joe’s Fruit Jellies, cut in half for wings)
1 yellow Starburst (cut in half from corner to corner for beak)
Cow Decorations (makes 2)
4 pink M&M’s (for ears)
4 brown mini M&M’s (for eyes)
1 Marshmallow (cut in half and frosted pink for nose)
4 black sprinkles (or use additional black decorating icing)
Pig Decorations (makes 2)
4 little pieces of Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel Candy, Cherry (for nostrils)
4 M&M’s Minis (for eyes)
2 pink Starburst (cut in half from corner to corner for ears)
1 regular sized Marshmallow (cut in half and frosted pink for nose)
Sheep Decorations (makes 2)
2 pink M&M’s (for nose)
4 Chocolate Chips or brown M&M’s, regular size (for eyes)
2 regular sized Marshmallows (cut in half diagonally, for ears)
38-40 miniature marshmallows
Directions:
Bake cakes and cupcakes. Make frosting according to directions and gather all decorating supplies. You will also need a tray or piece of cardboard to place your cake on. I used a n 18″x12″ cutting board.
Barn and Silo:
Unwrap 3 cupcakes and trim off the tops. I stacked three cupcakes along with one of the trimmed tops to create the silo. Trim one end of the loaf shaped pound cake to resemble the top of a barn when standing on it’s end as pictured below.
I missed getting a picture of this step, but you will also need to cut a small curve out of one of the 8″ round cakes so the two cakes can be put together for the base.
In a small bowl, tint 1 cup of the frosting with pink or red liquid food color to make pink frosting. In a medium bowl, tint 1 1/2 cups of the frosting with green gel or paste food color to make desired color of green frosting for the grass; set aside. Reserve remaining white frosting.
Spread a thin layer of green frosting over the two round 8″ cakes. Place the barn and silo on top of one of the cakes and cover with a thin layer of white frosting, to seal in crumbs. Refrigerate or freeze cake 30 to 60 minutes. Cover with remaining green frosting and another layer of white frosting.
Decorate the barn with Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel Candy, making sure to leave a space for the barn door and window. I pulled the candy into strands of three (instead of individual) to make it a little easier to place on the cake, cutting them into the correct lengths with my kitchen shears.
Cover the roof of the barn and silo with Life Cereal. (Shredded Wheat or a variety of other cereals would probably work as well.)
Pond:
Using Blue Sparkle Gel create a pond.
Grass:
Mix (or shake in a plastic bag) some shredded coconut with Leaf Green Icing Color (or green food color) until the desired shade of green. Place on top of cake surrounding the pond and over to the barn.
Pasture Fence:
Place two dabs of melted Peanut Butter or Light Cocoa Candy Melts near the top of two vertical pretzel sticks and then lay two more pretzel sticks over the melted candy horizontally to create sections of fence. Repeat until you have enough for your cake. Place around the bottom edges of cake and slightly into the frosting to hold them in place.
Decorate cupcakes and arrange on coconut grass.
Chicks: Frost 2 cupcakes with white frosting. Top with yellow coconut. For eyes, add 2 mini chocolate chips. Cut orange gumdrops to look like wings and Starburst for beak; place on cupcakes.
Sheep: Frost 2 cupcakes with white frosting. Add brown chocolate chips for the eyes and a pink M&M for the nose. For ears, add white marshmallow halves, cut sides down if necessary. Place mini marshmallows on face for wool.
Pigs: Frost 2 cupcakes with pink frosting. For snout, cut a large marshmallow in half and cover with pink frosting; place on cupcake. Add two small pieces of leftover Twizzlers Pull ‘n’ Peel Candy for nostrils. For eyes, add two M&M Minis. For ears, cut a pink starburst in half diagonally and place on cupcake.
Cows: Frost 2 cupcakes with white frosting. Add a couple black spots using Black Decorating Icing. For nose, cut a large marshmallow in half and cover with pink frosting; place on cupcake. Place two black sprinkles on nose for nostrils. Add two M&M Minis for eyes and two pink M&M’s for ears.
This is the recipe my mom always made when I was growing up. I think it was originally from her Betty Crocker Cookbook. Yummmm!
#1 Combine:
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
2/3 cup All-Pourpose Flour
2 teaspoons Baking Soda
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Salt
1/2 teaspoon Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon Ginger
#2 Combine in Large Bowl:
1 cup Sugar
1 cup Buttermilk
3/4 cup Oil
4 Eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons Vanilla
Mix well.
Add to #2:
1 lb. grated Carrots
1 – 8oz. can Crushed Pineapple, undrained
1 cup Walnuts, chopped
Grease three 8″ round cake pans. Line bottoms with wax paper.
Bake at 350˚F for 30 minutes (mine was a little too moist and could have used a few more minutes…) or until done. Cool in pan for 10 minutes.
Note: I used two of the three 8″ rounds for the Barnyard Birthday Cake.
1/2 cup butter
1 – 8oz. package cream cheese
1 – 16oz. package powdered sugar
2 teaspoons grated orange rind – optional
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Combine butter and cream cheese in large bowl; beat until light and fluffy. Add sugar, rind, and vanilla, mixing well.
Good Friday Lenten Dinner {on Holy Saturday}
We usually have this annual Lenten Dinner on Good Friday. I had hoped to move it to Passion Sunday this year now that our children are getting older, but ended up sick on the couch with the flu… Oh well, maybe next year? Then, on Good Friday, we really wanted to attend Stations of the Cross and the Veneration of the Cross, but our local mission church only had one Easter Sunday Mass scheduled for the week and the only Good Friday service offered by our pastor and/or assistant priest at the main parish (in the next town over) was scheduled for 7pm… Instead our local priests were participating in (and we were all invited to join) the “Ecumenical Service” at the First Christian Church (?) at noon…. Anyway, I’m not sure what that was all about, but we ended up opting to make the drive, to the church where Sean and I were married, to pray the Stations of the Cross and the Divine Mercy Chaplet at 12pm and then attend the Good Friday Service and Veneration of the Cross at 3pm. It was beautiful, inspiring, and the perfect way to spend Good Friday. We had some errands to run afterwards, which made for a very long day in town, so I considered skipping the dinner all together this year but we ended up modifying it for Holy Saturday instead.
You can find the pictures from our 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2014 Good Friday dinners in the archives for Good Friday. Here are the pictures from this year’s Lenten Dinner: on Holy Saturday:
Glasses of Water to drink and a bowl of water for washing hands…
A Small Bean, Cheese and Chip Crown…
Chunky Guacamole is Green for “envy”
Once again Grape Fruit Leather was served for the Purple Cloak.
This year, instead of making Golgotha Eggs (skulls), I just used a few leftover White Cadbury Eggs from the girls’ Chocolate Easter Nests, for our Golgotha Eggs.
The Crown of Thorns were made by my the children with Ritz Crackers, Peanut Butter, and Pretzels.
Using my kitchen scissors, I cut cheese quesadilla to look like a seamless garment.
Two fresh sprigs of Basil are used to represent the two robbers since “legend has it that the Basil plant grew around the site of Christ’s crucifixion. The Victorian Language of Flowers lists Basil as symbolic of both hatred and best wishes. The taunting thief and the good thief come to mind.”
“100” Cherry Tomatoes represent the 100 Roman Centurion.
(I was a little short this year… and in too much of a hurry to cut them all in half.)
Plus some Cheese Cubes to represent the dice used to cast lots…
And with Him they crucified two robbers, one on His right and one on His left.” Mark 15: 27
“And when the centurion, who stood facing Him, saw that He thus breathed His last, he said, ‘Truly this man was the Son of God.'” Mark 15: 39
“And one ran and, filling a sponge full of vinegar, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying ‘Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take Him down.'” Mark 15: 36
This year, since we had our dinner on Holy Saturday, the children made Resurrection Rolls!
This year I forgot to pull out our usual small card stock signs (I think my mind was focusing on all the baskets that needed to be filled and everything else that still needed to be done that night!) but you can find them over at Scribd.
{pretty, happy, funny, real} :: Instagram Recap
{Easter Wednesday} Today is the last day to pre-order and save on The Catholic Daily Planner for August 2015 – July 2016 from Michele Quigley, but I can’t decide which cover to choose this year! Do I pick a new one, or reorder one of my favorites? Decisions, decisions…
{Holy Saturday} Filling plastic eggs and Easter baskets while the Paska bakes and the girls finish making Chocolate Nests… That’s what I’m doing now before moving on to the next thing on the list for today!
{photo taken on Easter Sunday} I tried taking another family picture this Easter using the swing set ladder and my camera’s self-timer… It turned out kind of blurry but at least we got one! Actually most of my Easter pictures turned out blurry for some reason, but I just posted this one {actually the one I posted was a little different} and a few favorites of just our children over on the blog here. Now to sort through the rest of the photos! Happy Easter!
{very early Easter Sunday morning} I’m up late hiding Easter baskets (for the first time, inspired by a friend of ours) this year… Hehehe! Now if I can just find seven spots large enough.
{Good Friday} Our little three year old asked me to carry him around the church so he could look closely at each station, after we finished praying the Stations of the Cross and the Divine Mercy Chaplet. His sweet comments about each one were so precious. It was definitely worth the drive to attend the Good Friday services at the beautiful church where Sean and I were married. We will go back at 3pm for the Veneration of the Cross.
A Lenten Dinner on Palm Sunday
It’s hard to believe that it’s been seven years now since our first Lenten Dinner which was originally inspired by Alice’s Lenten Teas. These have definitely become a favorite Lenten tradition in our home. As our children get older I’ve had to be a little more creative to fit them in our full schedule. This year our Thursdays are especially full with tutors, piano lessons and more, so we moved our usual Holy Thursday Dinner to after Mass on Palm Sunday which worked out nicely. I pulled out a couple books about Palm Sunday (The Donkey and the Golden Light and Little Colt’s Palm Sunday) and set them on the counter. It didn’t take long for someone to pick one up to start reading! I also surprised the little ones with some new Easter Blessing Blocks from Almond Rod Toys. I know I’ve posted about these every year, but we love to look back and see the changes we have made from year to year.
For dressing we used balsamic vinegar and some “costly oil”.
“And truly, I say to you, wherever the gospel is preached in the whole world, what she has done will be told in memory of her.” Mk. 14:9
“And when he came, he went up to him at once, and said, ‘Master!’ And he kissed him.” Mk. 14:45
The Lenten Season In Our Catholic Home
Easter – Pentecost :: From the Archives
Happy Easter from Our Family To Yours!
A Special Prayer Request for the Snodgrass Family
Happy Easter!
I’m a little late in sharing this prayer request, but I wanted to take a moment and ask you all to please join us in praying, once again, for some friends of ours and their newest blessing who was recently diagnosed with Trisomy 13.
You may remember praying and/or donating funds for the Snodgrass family last summer when they lost their precious little Julianna in a tragic accident.
I’ve attached the prayer request and novena below. Thank you and may God bless you all!
Dearest Friends and Family,
As some of you may have heard, Renee and Gabe Snodgrass have been blessed with another pregnancy. Recently they have been informed that this child, Patrick Gabriel, has trisomy 13, a rare chromosomal disorder where the child has an extra chromosome #13. Individuals with this condition have physical and mental disabilities and usually only live for a few days or weeks, if at all. About 5-10% of these children live past the age of one.
We are reaching out to you to ask if you would please join us in a novena to pray for Patrick and the Snodgrass family. We feel called to ask for Blessed Margaret of Castello’s intercession. Blessed Margaret of Castello was born in 1287 to wealthy parents in a small town in Italy. Her parents were so excited to welcome this new life into the world, but when they found out she was hunch-backed, lame, and blind they imprisoned and abandoned her. She totally embraced her disabilities and suffering and trusted the Lord gave them to her for a reason. For her, she saw suffering as her pathway to heaven. Hence, she is often prayed to for healing for the discouraged, sick, unwanted, and abandoned as well as for discerning the will of God.
Her immense faith led to her beatification in 1609. More information about her can be found on the following website: Blessed Margaret of Costello.
We are going to start the attached 9-day novena on EASTER SUNDAY, APRIL 5, 2015
(what a great day to ask for a miracle!) which will conclude on Blessed Margaret’s feast day, April 13th.
Hundreds of healings have been attributed to the intercession of Blessed Margaret of Castello. In order for Blessed Margaret to become canonized as a saint, she needs one more approved miracle. “An approved miracle has to be truly wondrous, incapable of a natural explanation, solely and verifiably entrusted to the saint’s intercession, and accurately documented with all the appropriate medical records and multiple attestations.” Supporting evidence for her canonization thus far are:
- Girl is cured at Blessed Margaret’s funeral
- Her body is incorrupt
- She is declared blessed in 1609
- She needs one more miracle to be declared a saint
If the Lord wills it, we know, without a doubt, that He can heal Patrick. Let us come together and humbly submit our wills to the Lord to allow Him to be glorified.
1st Day
O Blessed Margaret of Castello, in embracing your life just as it was, you gave us an example of resignation to the will of God. In so accepting God’s will, you knew that you would grow in virtue, glorify God, save your own soul and help the souls of your neighbors. Obtain for me the grace to recognize the will of God in all that may happen to me in my life and so resign myself to it. Obtain for me also the special favor which I now ask through your intercession with God.
Let us pray (prayers in bold at the end of this post)
2nd Day
O Blessed Margaret of Castello, in reflecting so deeply upon the sufferings and death of our Crucified Lord, you learned courage and gained the grace to bear your own afflictions. Obtain for me the grace and courage that I so urgently need so as to be able to bear my infirmities and endure my afflictions in union with our suffering Savior. Obtain for me also the special favor which I now ask through your intercession with God.
Let us pray (prayers in bold at the end of this post)
3rd Day
O Blessed Margaret of Castello, your love for Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament was intense and enduring. It was here in intimacy with the Divine Presence that you found the spiritual strength to accept sufferings, to be cheerful, patient, and kindly towards others. Obtain for me the grace that I may draw from this same source, as from an inexhaustible font, the strength whereby I may be kind and understanding of everyone despite whatever pain or discomfort may come my way. Obtain for me also the special favor which I now ask through your intercession with God.
Let us pray (prayers in bold at the end of this post)
4th Day
O Blessed Margaret of Castello, you unceasingly turned to God in prayer with confidence and trust in His fatherly love. It was only through continual prayer that you were enabled to accept your misfortunes, to be serene, patient and at peace. Obtain for me the grace to persevere in my prayer, confident that God will give me the help to carry whatever cross comes into my life. Obtain for me also the special favor which I now ask through your intercession with God.
Let us pray (prayers in bold at the end of this post)
5th Day
O Blessed Margaret of Castello, in imitation of the Child Jesus, who was subject to Mary and Joseph, you obeyed your father and mother, overlooking their unnatural harshness. Obtain for me that same attitude of obedience toward all those who have legitimate authority over me, most especially toward the Holy Roman Catholic Church. Obtain for me also the special favor which I now ask through your intercession with God.
Let us pray (prayers in bold at the end of this post)
6th Day
Oh Blessed Margaret of Castello, your miseries taught you better than any teacher the weakness and frailty of human nature. Obtain for me the grace to recognize my human limitations and to acknowledge my utter dependence upon God. Acquire for me that abandonment which leaves me completely at the mercy of God to do with me whatsoever He wills. Obtain for me also the special favor which I now ask through your intercession with God.
Let us pray (prayers in bold at the end of this post)
7th Day
O Blessed Margaret of Castello, you could have so easily became discouraged and bitter; but, instead, you fixed your eyes on the suffering Christ and there you learned from Him the redemptive value of suffering: how to offer your pains and aches, in reparation for sin and for the salvation of souls. Obtain for me the grace to learn how to endure my sufferings with patience. Obtain for me also the special favor which I now ask through your intercession with God.
Let us pray (prayers in bold at the end of this post)
8th Day
O Blessed Margaret of Castello, how it must have hurt when your parents abandoned you! Yet you learned from this that all earthly love and affection, even for those who are closest, must be sanctified. And so, despite everything, you continued to love your parents, but now you loved them in God. Obtain for me the grace that I might see all my human loves and affections in their proper perspective…in God and for God. Obtain for me also the special favor which I now ask through your intercession with God.
Let us pray (prayers in bold at the end of this post)
9th Day
O Blessed Margaret of Castello, through your suffering and misfortune, you became sensitive to the sufferings of others. Your heart reached out to everyone in trouble: the sick, the hungry, the dying, prisoners. Obtain for me the grace to recognize Jesus in everyone with whom I come into contact, especially in the poor, the wretched, the unwanted! Obtain for me also the special favor which I now ask through your intercession with God.
Let us pray (prayers in bold at the end of this post)
Prayers for Everyday
O God, by whose will the blessed virgin, Margaret, was blind from birth, that the eyes of her mind, being inwardly enlightened, she might think without ceasing on You alone; be the light of our eyes, that we may be able to flee the shadows of this world, and reach the home of never ending light. We ask this through Christ, Our Lord. Amen.
Jesus, Mary, Joseph, glorify your servant blessed Margaret, by granting the favor we so ardently desire. This we ask in humble submission to God’s will, for His honor and glory and the salvation of souls.
Say one Our Father, Hail Mary and Glory be to the Father.
O my God, I thank you for having given Blessed Margaret of Castello to the world as an example of the degree of holiness that can be attained by anyone who truly loves you, regardless of physical abnormalities. In today’s perverted culture, Margaret would have, most likely, never been born; death through abortion being preferable to life, especially life in an ugly, distorted, twisted body. But your ways are not the world’s ways…and so it was your will that Margaret would be born into the world with just such a malformed body. It is your way that uses our weakness to give testimony to your power. Margaret was born blind, so as to see you more clearly; a cripple, so as to lean on you completely; dwarfed in physical posture, so as to become a giant in the spiritual order; hunched-backed, so as to more perfectly resemble the twisted, crucified body of your Son. Margaret’s whole life was an enactment of the words expressed by Paul: So I shall be happy to make my weaknesses my special boast so that the power of Christ may stay over me and that is why I am content with my weaknesses, and with insults, hardships, persecutions and the agonies I go through for Christ’s sake. For it is when I am weak that I am strong. (2 Cor. 12:10).
I beseech you, O God, to grant, through the intercession of Blessed Margaret of Castello, that all the handicapped…and who among us is not?…all the rejected, all the unwanted of this world may make their weaknesses their own special boast so that your power may stay over them now and forever. Amen. Blessed Margaret of Castello, pray for us!
3 Our Fathers and 3 Hail Marys
Update August 8, 2015: “All praise and glory be to God for the delivery of Patrick Gabriel Snodgrass today at 5:51 AM. He is 7lb. 5oz. 18.5 in. Please keep him and the whole family in your prayers.”
March Daybook
Outside my window…
Hot, cold, sunshine, rain, and even hail. The weather has been all over the place the last few days!
I am thinking…
I mentioned in my February Daybook that I saw my doctor again for more blood work (to check my hormone balance) and a biopsy (on my skin rash). The following Tuesday, March 3rd, I went back to discuss the results…
It’s turns out that the awful rash that I’ve been fighting since just after my miscarriage last June (which was originally diagnosed as poison oak and then, a few months later, as systemic yeast) is actually a skin disease. (No wonder those three rounds of treatments and the 30-day candida diet I tried didn’t make a difference!) I asked my doctor if there is a cure. She responded “no” and said that it is “autoimmune caused and not contagious.” She then wrote me a prescription for “steroid cream to help manage the pain” and said to come back and see her in three months. I really need to find a new doctor.
I also asked her about my progesterone level and she said “it’s normal.” … Sigh… “Yes… It would be in the normal range (at the very low end) if I was postmenopausal. But for me, at my age and mid-cycle, according to a friend of mine (Ranger’s Godfather, who owns a lab and was able to go over my results for me a couple days earlier thanks to MyChart) it is extremely low.” She looked at the results again and said, “Oh, you’re right…” So frustrating. I’m just so glad I didn’t listen to her last month and insisted on the hormone testing, when she tried to prescribe antidepressants and anxiety medications. I knew that wasn’t what I’ve been needing and that something else hasn’t been right. Now to find that new doctor… I wish we had more options around here.
I am thankful…
I am so thankful that I at least finally know the cause of this skin rash! After coming home, and wiping away the tears from the shock of my “incurable skin disease”, I started researching ways to improve my symptoms naturally. I ran across some articles online (this one and this one) that gave me hope that I’d be able to put the disease into remission. I decided to try a 30-Day Autoimmune Protocol Diet. I went grocery shopping with my husband that very night and started the next morning. Today is Day 28!
It’s kind of funny that at the beginning of Lent I mentioned to my husband that I wasn’t going to give up any specific foods this Lent… Ha! I ended up giving up everything! Coffee, Chocolate, Sugar, Grains, Legumes, Dairy, Eggs, Nightshades, Seeds, Nuts, etc. It’s been a challenging four weeks to say the least.
The good news is, other than the cold/flu I caught a couple weeks ago which was definitely a setback, my rash is improving, my moods have stabilized, I’m sleeping well, I have more energy (though still not back to what I use to have), I’ve lost 16 pounds as of today, and am feeling so much better. It’s a start!
This school year is passing so quickly!
Celebrating the liturgical year…
In addition to the Lenten season we also have had some favorite feasts and a birthday to celebrate!
March 13th – As soon as we finish praying our family rosary these two head straight to the Lenten calendar to cover up the square for the day.
March 15th – I had a few kids to make breakfast for this morning! #friendsvisiting #Catholic #lent2015 #laetaresunday #motheringsunday
March 15th – Such a treat to be invited (our whole family and our visiting friends too!) to the Figure Skating Club’s private St. Patrick’s Day Party which included free skating, door prizes and yummy treats… A perfect indoor activity for this rainy day!
March 17th – Traditional Irish Soda Bread with Pure Irish Butter. {You can find the recipe here.}
March 19th – Happy St. Joseph’s Day! You can see our St. Joseph’s Day Cathedral Cake here.
March 24th (My husband’s birthday and the traditional feast of St. Gabriel) – Patiently waiting for the birthday boy to get home from work so we can celebrate!
March 25th – I ended up making a quadruple batch of Organic 6-Grain Waffles and served them with Marionberries and Maple Syrup for dinner…. Mmmmm! I didn’t have any but they sure smelled good!
From the kitchen…
It’s been interesting! When I first read the list of what was not allowed on the Autoimmune Protocol Diet I didn’t think there was any way that I’d be able to survive 30 days… or more! I’ve definitely had to spend a lot more time in the kitchen, but I’ve been able to stick with it!
For Sean’s birthday we grilled Tilapia and I made Bacon-Wrapped Pears, Brussels Sprouts with Crispy Bacon, and Curried Cauliflower.
I was even able to make a special desert (Pear-Caramel Pie) for the solemnity feast of St. Joseph! The crust was made from Arrowroot and Coconut Flour and I didn’t really care for it, but the pears tasted amazing!
I am working on…
still…working on finding ways to improve my health and making time to exercise at least a few days each week… though the exercise had to be put on hold while I was sick.
March 22nd – Tissues, tea, and a day spent in bed… This cold/flu that I’ve been fighting since last week took a turn for the worse and has really knocked me off my feet!
March 23rd – Sipping on broth and watching my little ones “read” to each other. Not exactly what I had originally planned for our first day of spring break, but I’m so grateful that I have a wide open schedule this week (no tutors, hockey, piano lessons, or submission deadlines) and can rest and recover quickly.
I am creating…
a check-list of the things I still need to do this week to prepare for Easter. So much still to do and so little time. I’m going to have to keep it simple this year.
I am going…
to pre-order my new Daily Planner from Michele so I can save 10%. I use the August-July version.
I am hoping…
to finally complete the Couch 2 5K app! I started at the beginning of February and completed the first 6 weeks on March 15th before having to take a break until my cough was better. Today was my first day back! It was slow going but I managed to complete the next workout challenge!
I am praying…
for some special intentions.
March 14th – It’s been six years today since my grandpa died… These two don’t remember their great-grandpa (our youngest two hadn’t even been born yet) but they have heard wonderful stories and just finished lighting candles while offering prayers for the repose of his soul. Rest in peace Grandpa+
I am reading…
Jesus of Nazareth: The Story of His Life Written for Children by Mother Mary Loyola. I had to take a break from reading aloud and I’m not sure we will be able to finish it by Easter. It’s such a beautiful book though and I look forward to reading the rest to the children soon!
Pondering these words…
from Divine Intimacy:
I am listening…
to Lent at Ephesus.
Decluttering and Spring Cleaning. I didn’t plan on filling 40 bags with stuff to donate this Lent but it sort of happened anyway! The weekend before last we tackled the garage and ended up donating a ficus tree, a bathroom cabinet, a rolling storage shelf, and a few bags of Christmas decorations, plus an area rug (to my sister), 4 old bikes (to the bike store), high-chair (to a thrift shop), 4 old carseats (to the fire department), and 4 bags of trash. Then, this weekend, I managed to fill an additional 20 brown bags with clothes and toys to donate from the bedrooms plus a few more bags of trash. Whew!
the beautiful Rosary Flip Book from Sacred Art Series. It was one of the gifts I gave my husband for his birthday this year.
This week’s plans…
- Palm Sunday Lenten Dinner
- Sean away for training Monday-Wednesday
- Tutors on Monday and Tuesday
- Orthodontist Appointments on Wednesday
- Piano Lessons on Thursday
- Stations of the Cross, Divine Mercy Chaplet, and Good Friday Service
- A Simple and Symbolic Lenten Dinner on Good Friday
- Bake Bread for Easter
- Prepare for Easter Sunday!
A little peek at my day…
Saint Joseph’s Day Cathedral Cake
Saint Patrick’s Day
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| Fiona’s Lace |
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| Patrick: Saint of Ireland |
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